Beachead Tavern

Situated between Crescent Beach and a shallow pseudopod of the Great Salt Pond, the Beachead would have plenty of seafaring atmosphere even if the place weren't festooned with lobster traps, buoys, and nets. You know that little carved wooden, yellow-slickered fisherman with the beard and pipe that's carried by every souvenir shop in New England? The Beachead has one as tall as you (assuming you are six feet tall), that hangs out on the front porch, acting as a beacon to all real-life yellow-slickered fishermen with beards and pipes, signaling that they are welcome to enter, shake off the sleet, and chase the nor'easterly chill from their bones with a hearty crock a' chowdah.

In that vein, the Beachead serves a nice lobster bisque and something they call "Block Island Clear Chowder." To be honest, the latter doesn't seem to differ much from its mainland counterpart, but it is tasty. And you don't need to be half-drowned and frozen after running aground in a blizzard to enjoy it.

The rest of the menu runs the gamut from burgers to fried seafood to roast duck to lobster (in season), and lots in between. The Beachead chili is recommended, we hear, and next time we go we plan to try that and the clams casino. The Rhode Island "Naked" Stuffie—a stuffie without a shell—sounds deliciously blasphemous. For the booze-minded there's an interesting selection of signature drinks, including the Beachead Bloody, Little Wooden Man Rum Punch, the John Daly, and the Rodman's Hollow.

The Beachead is open daily in summer, 11:30am-9pm. Check their website for shoulder season or off-season hours.

What’s nearby

Distances between points are actual distances, without regard to terrain or hungry cane toads. Your travel distance will be longer.